Active citizens of the Kherson region and different regions of the country learned how to avoid negative information influences

 

“Ukraine is not a country,” “The West is tired of war,” “everything is not so clear-cut,” “Zelenskyy is illegitimate,” and many other well-known narratives that we see and hear every day not only from Russian “experts,” but also from Ukrainians who are influenced by them. 

Active citizens of Kherson and various regions of the country, as well as representatives of deoccupied communities of the Kherson region, learned how to avoid negative information influences and what “information hygiene” is at a workshop from Ivan Antypenko, a journalist for the publication GRUNT, Radio Svoboda and Suspilne.

According to a USAID / Internews study, the part of those for whom the issue of the ability to distinguish between false materials has significantly increased in 2024. 83% of respondents are aware of the existence of false materials, and 72% believe that they can distinguish them. It should also be noted that compared to the spring of 2022, the time spent monitoring news (media consumption) has significantly decreased. 

To avoid being influenced by negative information, Ivan Antypenko advises always thinking critically, not letting emotions take over your mind, and checking information that raises doubts in you. Any materials in the media should be considered according to the following criteria: 

• the headline (does it correspond to the essence of the message or simply attracts attention); 
• emotions (what is the tone of the presentation - neutral or emotional); 
• the primary source of information (is there a link to the source);
• facts and judgments (what does the author use actual, confirmed facts or his own opinion and assumptions); 
• experts (are there opinions of experts in the relevant field); purpose (for whom is this message and for what purpose was it created). 

Workshop participants had the opportunity to practice analyzing materials using examples of existing articles in both Ukrainian and Russian publications. This made it possible to critically evaluate their own approaches to information consumption. 

Remember that any false, distorted information and outright fakes are created to sow panic and influence the moral state of the population. So, trust, but verify! 

The workshop was held within the framework of the initiative "Kherson region: public safety and recovery in conditions of change," implemented by the Kherson Regional Charity Foundation "Union" with the assistance of the UNDP Ukraine with the financial support of the Government of Denmark.